


And the answer is…

by nessiesaur



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: M/M, POV Outsider, Post-Series, post-retirement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-03-12
Packaged: 2018-10-03 05:53:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10237301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nessiesaur/pseuds/nessiesaur
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki is adorable, but also one of the most mature people in their class. Yuuri Katsuki is in her study group, which definitely saved her ass on the midterm. Yuuri Katsuki is…wait, who is he!?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is yet another [skygemspeaks' post-retirement oblivious friends scenario](http://skygemspeaks.tumblr.com/post/156733406313/okay-but-imagine-yuuri-retires-from-competitive), though with some variations on the theme. Hope you enjoy!

Yuuri Katsuki is an (adorable) international man of mystery. Erica finds herself sitting next to him on the first day of Biomedical Ethics, when she turns at the soft-spoken, "Hello," to see a doe-eyed Asian kid to her left, eyes huge and long-lashed behind chunky blue-framed glasses that shouldn't work nearly as well as they actually do. At her return greeting he gives a small smile and pinks fetchingly. She hears Jason sigh adoringly to her right. 

(They later find out he's actually 31, and one of the older people in the class; Jason just sighs harder, murmuring dreamily about 'mature' men.)

They also find out that he's working on a sports psychology degree, which is pretty different from what the rest of them are there for. She means to ask him what sports he's played, but gets distracted by a whispered question from Carla sitting a row ahead, and it slips her mind.

(Things would have happened very differently if she'd just remembered to ask, but what can you do?)

They end up sitting together for the rest of the semester, and the proximity is 90% of the reason they all end up in the same study group. 

 

\-------

 

Yuuri turns out to be quiet and not quick to speak up in class, but when he does it's always worth listening to. His lilting, earnest voice and sparkling eyes are a lethal combination, especially when he talks with such quiet, understated authority, in a way that speaks to either intense study or personal experience. He still comes faithfully to nearly every study session, armed with a rotating, eclectic mix of homemade snacks. They come from all sorts of different countries, Japanese of course, but also Russian, Thai, and more, and are almost always delicious. He tells them shyly to let him know if anything didn't turn out right, but really, the fact that no one ever comes late anymore to risk missing out on them says more than enough. And he would be distracting, looking so soft and cuddleable (is that a word?) in the slightly oversized knit sweaters he favors, but he's so focused and diligent that everyone does their best to stay on task, to avoid disappointing him.

Despite the shy and reserved first impression, he's pretty friendly and easy to talk to once he opens up a bit. He also almost never hangs out with anyone when not in class, disappearing to do whatever mysterious things otherwise occupy his time. Carla has by now joined Jason in wistfully daydreaming about running into him at a high class restaurant, a smoky bar, an exclusive club, and whisking him off his feet (or getting whisked off theirs? Really, they're not picky, even if they could afford to be at any of these places at all). So it's definitely a coup when Erica invites him over for a game night, and he actually says yes.

Which is how she finds herself sitting around the table with the study group, eating yet another of the bewildering array of stuffed Japanese pastries with similarly bewildering names while fighting for her life, Yuuri swearing up and down that he's never played most board games before, "I just never really had the time, you know." Yuuri Katsuki, it turns out? _Competitive as hell_. Not that she wants to lose, and like hell she's going to let this amateur beat her, but his intense contemplation of his cards and the determined wrinkle between his eyebrows is pretty damn adorable. She makes her own decision and tries to pass the hand over to him only to find him distracted by the TV, where Jeopardy has been playing in the background.

One of the contestants, Liam, has been running the board on the current category, figure skating. Kind of surprising, as he's a big beefy guy that seems to embody 'dudebro', but he seems to be answering all the questions with real enthusiasm. Even more surprising is Yuuri, who somehow always answers even faster than he does. For one question, the words, "The most decorated figure skater in history-" are barely out of Alex Trebek's mouth before Yuuri nearly shouts, cheeks flushed and eyes shining, " Viktor Nikiforov!" He is, now unsurprisingly, correct. 

Carla remarks, "Wow, didn't know you were such a big fan of ice skating." 

Yuuri blushes, and murmurs sheepishly, "I guess you could say that."

But before she can ask him about it, they hear the Daily Double jingle. Liam barely hesitates before deciding to bet everything, and Trebek reads the question. 

"Now retired, this figure skater set the still unbroken Men's figure skating combined score of 341.62 points at the 2020 World Championship."

Yuuri doesn't answer this time though, and when Erica turns to look she finds his face has turned a brilliant red, and his hands have started creeping up to cover his face. She doesn't have any time to ask him what's wrong, as several things happen at once.

Her roommate Su Zhen walks in to the room, and promptly shrieks, _"Yuuri Katsuki???"_

Liam _also_ shouts, "Who is Yuuri Katsuki!" 

Alex Trebek says, "Congratulations, you win the Daily Double!" 

No one speaks.

On screen, they watch as a clip starts playing of a graceful, beautifully besequined figure skater--of _Yuuri_ \--gliding across the ice, back delicately arched. And pretty much the entire class is half in love with him, with how deceptively youthful he looks and all around adorable he is, with his gentle, innocent beauty. This is new, however, this almost unbearably sultry intensity the camera has still somehow perfectly captured. A voice begins narrating.

"Japan's ace men's figure skater for a decade, Yuuri Katsuki was initially most well-known for his balletic spins, fiendishly intricate footwork, and pitch-perfect musicality, before he started working with his final coach and eventual husband, legendary skater Viktor Nikiforov." 

The scene changes to show a handsome silver-haired man in a suit standing by the rink wall, before it flashes to Yuuri skating excitedly towards the edge of the rink, only to be tackled on to it and kissed by the same man. 

"That was you?!" Jason yelps, and Erica remembers now in the deep recesses of her mind something about some gay kissing figure skaters that had trended for weeks. She faintly recalls, hysteria rising, at the time thinking 'good for them'.

The scene changes once again to Yuuri launching effortlessly in to a breathtaking, impossible, jump, that then transitions in to a series of dizzying spins before he finally stops on a dime, finishing with his arms outstretched towards his husband(!). Something glints, and she realizes it's the gold ring he's always worn on his right hand.

The narration continues, "He is seen here performing the quadruple axel during his gold-medal winning free skate at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. This was the first quad axel to be ratified by the International Skating Union, and Katsuki is still the only figure skater to have landed the jump cleanly in competition."

The show finally moves on to the next category, and Erica shuts off the TV.

Su Zhen hyperventilates. 

The rest of the table turn as one to stare at Yuuri. 

Yuuri peeks out at them from behind his fingers. 

"Um, surprise?"

 

\-------

 

Yuuri Katsuki is adorable incarnate, but also one of the most mature people in their class. Yuuri Katsuki is in Erica's study group, which definitely saved her ass on the midterm. Yuuri Katsuki is now somewhat less of a mystery, and yet even more amazing than anyone ever imagined. 

(When Liam says during the credits that he had been on the school hockey team while Yuuri had been an undergrad, and had also had a raging crush on him…well, let's just say she's no longer quite so surprised.)

Yuuri invites them to visit the rink where they finally get to meet Yuuri's husband(!), who is the epitome of cool and regal--for all of two seconds before he lets out an adoring, "Yuuuuri~!" and engulfs him in a giant hug, Yuuri flustered but smiling widely, both with expressions that can't be called anything but love struck. When they finally--very reluctantly--part, Carla and Jason demand autographs and selfies to go with the ones they've already begged from Yuuri, which Viktor is more than delighted to provide "for Yuuri's wonderful friends!" Erica is worried Su Zhen might actually faint.

They even get to meet another Yuri, a tall blonde kid Viktor is coaching who's apparently gearing up for a major competition. He's graceful on the ice but perpetually grouchy off it, mostly answering with scowls and grunts even as Viktor admonishes him for being rude to Yuuri's guests. He also slumps bonelessly over Yuuri like a big cat while Viktor lectures him about his form, almost purring as Yuuri combs his fingers through his hair with a soft, fond smile. 

Erica thinks, munching contemplatively on a delicious custard-filled pancake-thing, as she watches Yuuri glide to the center of the rink, Viktor and kid-Yuri having successfully cajoled him in to showing off his still formidable skills, Carla and Jason and _especially_ Su Zhen nearly vibrating with rapturous delight beside her, that she's really glad she decided to take the same class this semester.


End file.
